Last year I wrote about problems that can occur when making online purchases when I tried to purchase some active-3D glasses for a computer monitor. I also wrote about a problem in March of 2013 when the picture of the product I wanted didn't have anything to help me reference the size. Today my son's online purchase from Amazon arrived and it turns out they shipped the wrong item. When I needed to get a new ski rack for my wife's Jeep, I made sure to go to a local ski shop and buy locally. That way if I didn't like something, I could take it back and save myself shipping costs. My son should have read my post but instead ordered a ski box for his car using the aforementioned online retailer. The box they sent won't fit his skis as it is too short.
Fortunately Amazon does a good job of making things right when a problem occurs. In my son's case, they are paying to ship the item back but cannot ship him a new box quickly enough. He has to drive to California after the new year and will be leaving with a car full of skis before the new box can arrive. So what will he do? He found the box he actually wanted at a local retailer and picked it up this afternoon.
My son's comment to me today is that Amazon is great for sending out small things, such as something that can be carried by a drone. When it comes to large-sized purchases, it is too much of a hassle to deal with the various shipping companies when something goes wrong and so he will be purchasing locally. I think that makes sense.
Wednesday, December 28, 2016
Monday, December 26, 2016
Lost Mobile Phone
In the 20-plus years I have carried a mobile phone, I have never lost one until now. I did drop mine on a bike trail 7 years ago but a nice person called my son and I arranged to get it back. Then I lost my phone on Christmas eve and I won't be able to get it back until June as it is now buried on top of a mountain under a lot of new snow.
How did I lose my phone? I fell skiing. Last year I skied 80 days and only fell about 2 or 3 times. My fall on Saturday happened because I went skiing in a huge snowstorm and couldn't really see much. I didn't mind the blindness as all of the fresh snow made for a great ski day. One of my skis hit a large wind-blown mound of snow and threw me off balance. I spun around and landed on my back. I hit the ground hard and gave myself a slight headache even though I wore a helmet. That caused my phone to fall out of an inside pocket but stayed in my jacket. When I stood up, the phone fell out of the bottom of my jacket.
About an hour later I discovered that I no longer had my phone. I knew I lost it because of the fall and so I headed back to the scene of the accident. Unfortunately the ski patrol closed that part of the mountain because of extreme avalanche danger. Had I been able to get near my phone, I could have used my second phone to call it and I would have been able to locate it.
They finally opened that part of the mountain again today and I went looking for my phone. Between when I lost my phone and when I could finally look for it, 2 feet of fresh snow fell. I scouted around a bit but no hope existed for finding my phone. So this afternoon I went out and got a replacement one.
Fortunately I have a fairly recent backup of the data on my phone and am just missing a few notes, a handful of pictures (none really that important) and a list of blocked telephone numbers from telemarketers. I did learn a few things from this experience:
How did I lose my phone? I fell skiing. Last year I skied 80 days and only fell about 2 or 3 times. My fall on Saturday happened because I went skiing in a huge snowstorm and couldn't really see much. I didn't mind the blindness as all of the fresh snow made for a great ski day. One of my skis hit a large wind-blown mound of snow and threw me off balance. I spun around and landed on my back. I hit the ground hard and gave myself a slight headache even though I wore a helmet. That caused my phone to fall out of an inside pocket but stayed in my jacket. When I stood up, the phone fell out of the bottom of my jacket.
About an hour later I discovered that I no longer had my phone. I knew I lost it because of the fall and so I headed back to the scene of the accident. Unfortunately the ski patrol closed that part of the mountain because of extreme avalanche danger. Had I been able to get near my phone, I could have used my second phone to call it and I would have been able to locate it.
They finally opened that part of the mountain again today and I went looking for my phone. Between when I lost my phone and when I could finally look for it, 2 feet of fresh snow fell. I scouted around a bit but no hope existed for finding my phone. So this afternoon I went out and got a replacement one.
Fortunately I have a fairly recent backup of the data on my phone and am just missing a few notes, a handful of pictures (none really that important) and a list of blocked telephone numbers from telemarketers. I did learn a few things from this experience:
- Backup the data on your phone regularly. My recent backup saved me from having to recreate my contacts list and kept me from losing some really precious photos.
- Make sure you have a Find-My-Phone app installed on your phone. This will sound an audible alarm even if your phone is silenced. This didn't help me because the unsafe conditions prohibited from me getting to my phone in a timely manner, however it might help you.
- If you are accident prone and have a tendency to break or lose your phone on a regular basis, spring for the replacement insurance. A new phone can be expensive. My mistake cost me over $400.
- If you ski with your phone, make sure it is in a pocket with a zipper so it doesn't fall out. Both of my sons and my son-in-law reminded me of this even though I came to that conclusion 3 milliseconds after I discovered I had lost my phone.
Thursday, December 22, 2016
A Robot Duster
Last Christmas I got my wife a robot vacuum and felt pretty proud of myself for such an awesome gift. I have to say that after a year of having one, it has dramatically cut down on the amount of vacuuming I have been required to do. I still take care of the weekly laundry and dishes, but I fit those in during spare moments of my weekends. The robot vacuum got me thinking about other household chores that could be automated. With all of the quadcopter devices out there, how about engineering one into a robot to do your dusting?
I told that idea to my wife and she wants me to run out and patent the idea before someone else does. Unfortunately I don't think it is a very practical invention. I don't do a lot of dusting but when I do, I often have to take things off of tables and then replace them. That might be a bit much for a quadcopter duster. About all it would be good for is flying over a table and moving the dust from the surface into the surrounding air.
I am also worried about the liability of a quadcopter duster. My wife has a number of glass figures sprinkled throughout the house and I can imagine coming home to find them all in pieces on the ground. That could be easily rectified by hiding the glass figures behind glass doors but I don't think that is an appropriate solution.
Industrial robots have revolutionized the manufacturing industry and now there are a number of companies looking to figure out how robots can help us in our daily lives. The trick is to make them useful and not just expensive gadgets to show off to your friends. The robot vacuum is a good start, so now the question is: What's next?
I told that idea to my wife and she wants me to run out and patent the idea before someone else does. Unfortunately I don't think it is a very practical invention. I don't do a lot of dusting but when I do, I often have to take things off of tables and then replace them. That might be a bit much for a quadcopter duster. About all it would be good for is flying over a table and moving the dust from the surface into the surrounding air.
I am also worried about the liability of a quadcopter duster. My wife has a number of glass figures sprinkled throughout the house and I can imagine coming home to find them all in pieces on the ground. That could be easily rectified by hiding the glass figures behind glass doors but I don't think that is an appropriate solution.
Industrial robots have revolutionized the manufacturing industry and now there are a number of companies looking to figure out how robots can help us in our daily lives. The trick is to make them useful and not just expensive gadgets to show off to your friends. The robot vacuum is a good start, so now the question is: What's next?
Wednesday, December 21, 2016
Am I Ready for Christmas
We are a few days from Christmas and I wonder if I have enough gifts for my wife and children. This is a common occurrence for me and I imagine it is for others as well. If you ask my wallet, I probably over spent. If you ask my kids, they probably want more.
Yesterday I picked up one or two more gifts for my youngest son. He has been out of the country the past 2 Christmases and we really didn't send him much. Putting extra money in his bank account seemed much easier as we didn't have to worry about shipping costs nor everything arriving in the package. So this year I have kind of tried to make up for a lack of gifts in the previous years. My wife isn't happy about that at all. Oh well.
One thing I do when I am worried if I have selected enough gifts for everyone is to pull out a simple spreadsheet. I use the rows to list everyone's name and then I list out the gifts I know they are getting. I do this with my wife and so we use fake names for the gifts we are giving each other. It quickly becomes apparent if we have favored one child or another. If one child seems neglected compared to the others, my wife and I make a purchase or two. If someone seems more favored than the others, we hold a gift for a birthday or other event unless it is easily returnable.
In the case of my youngest son, he is sort of getting a large package of gifts that are all related. Unfortunately they all go together and leaving one out is kind of like giving him a car without tires or wheels. Sure he has a great gift but then has to spend his own money to complete the package. That doesn't seem fair and so I hope the other kids forgive me. I think they will as they have each spent several Christmases away from home and enjoyed the extra gifts upon return. We will see.
Yesterday I picked up one or two more gifts for my youngest son. He has been out of the country the past 2 Christmases and we really didn't send him much. Putting extra money in his bank account seemed much easier as we didn't have to worry about shipping costs nor everything arriving in the package. So this year I have kind of tried to make up for a lack of gifts in the previous years. My wife isn't happy about that at all. Oh well.
One thing I do when I am worried if I have selected enough gifts for everyone is to pull out a simple spreadsheet. I use the rows to list everyone's name and then I list out the gifts I know they are getting. I do this with my wife and so we use fake names for the gifts we are giving each other. It quickly becomes apparent if we have favored one child or another. If one child seems neglected compared to the others, my wife and I make a purchase or two. If someone seems more favored than the others, we hold a gift for a birthday or other event unless it is easily returnable.
In the case of my youngest son, he is sort of getting a large package of gifts that are all related. Unfortunately they all go together and leaving one out is kind of like giving him a car without tires or wheels. Sure he has a great gift but then has to spend his own money to complete the package. That doesn't seem fair and so I hope the other kids forgive me. I think they will as they have each spent several Christmases away from home and enjoyed the extra gifts upon return. We will see.
Tuesday, December 20, 2016
Video Game Review: No Man's Sky
This is going to be a bit of a different video game review in that I have never played No Man's Sky. My youngest son has been monopolizing one of my PS4's and playing the game non-stop. In other words, he has been playing it so much, I haven't had the chance. I did sit down for several hours to watch him play and so this will be a "sideline" review.
No Man's Sky was developed by a relatively small indie team at Hello Games but feels like a gigantic game. That is because they used a computer to do most of the work. The computer has a large number of variables and randomly generates worlds. Some are green and full of vegetation while others are radioactive and make survival tough. If you have ever wanted to be a space explorer then this is your game.
There are a number of negative reviews surrounding the game because often times it feels like you do the same thing over and over. You fly to a new planet, collect resources, discover you don't have space for everything, throw out the junk, develop technology, and head to other worlds. Sometimes there are space pirates that try to blow you up. Other times you run out of gas and have to mine asteroids to get enough fuel to propel you to a new planet.
Unfortunately I missed the first few hours my son spent playing the game and so I am not sure what he is doing with the various menu screens a lot of the time. However I have enjoyed watching him play and he really enjoys using the game as a way to relax after having finished his college finals this semester.
No Man's Sky is one of those games that you can enjoy for weeks or months. It is almost infinite and that is what scares me about it. I don't have an unlimited amount of time to spend on a game and so I'm not sure I want to start playing it. If you are someone that plays a game until you get tired of it and then don't mind setting it down, then I highly recommend it for you. I also recommend it to anyone who has wanted to be an intergalactic explorer and enjoys discovering new species of animals.
No Man's Sky has an ESRB rating of T for Teen due to a bit of fantasy violence. As mentioned there are space pirates that try to blow you up as well as new animals you discover that may try to eat you. I hate being something's lunch.
No Man's Sky was developed by a relatively small indie team at Hello Games but feels like a gigantic game. That is because they used a computer to do most of the work. The computer has a large number of variables and randomly generates worlds. Some are green and full of vegetation while others are radioactive and make survival tough. If you have ever wanted to be a space explorer then this is your game.
There are a number of negative reviews surrounding the game because often times it feels like you do the same thing over and over. You fly to a new planet, collect resources, discover you don't have space for everything, throw out the junk, develop technology, and head to other worlds. Sometimes there are space pirates that try to blow you up. Other times you run out of gas and have to mine asteroids to get enough fuel to propel you to a new planet.
Unfortunately I missed the first few hours my son spent playing the game and so I am not sure what he is doing with the various menu screens a lot of the time. However I have enjoyed watching him play and he really enjoys using the game as a way to relax after having finished his college finals this semester.
No Man's Sky is one of those games that you can enjoy for weeks or months. It is almost infinite and that is what scares me about it. I don't have an unlimited amount of time to spend on a game and so I'm not sure I want to start playing it. If you are someone that plays a game until you get tired of it and then don't mind setting it down, then I highly recommend it for you. I also recommend it to anyone who has wanted to be an intergalactic explorer and enjoys discovering new species of animals.
No Man's Sky has an ESRB rating of T for Teen due to a bit of fantasy violence. As mentioned there are space pirates that try to blow you up as well as new animals you discover that may try to eat you. I hate being something's lunch.
Monday, December 19, 2016
My Sons and Video Games
Normally I like to hang out and play video games during the Christmas break. I have 2 PlayStation 4's and so I didn't think I would have to worry about getting time on a console to play video games. This afternoon my youngest son wanted to play Uncharted 4 on the PS4 in my bedroom. My oldest son thought that looked like fun and so he went down to the TV room and played Uncharted 3. When I realized I couldn't play, I went to tune my skis in the basement.
At the start of the break I thought about bringing my 3rd PS4 back to Utah from my boat. Then my two sons and I could play games all at the same time. I didn't think it would be a problem but now I can see that bringing it home may have been the smart move.
At the start of the break I thought about bringing my 3rd PS4 back to Utah from my boat. Then my two sons and I could play games all at the same time. I didn't think it would be a problem but now I can see that bringing it home may have been the smart move.
Friday, December 16, 2016
Lightning Protection
When I am home in Utah during the winter, I like to start out each morning with a quick trip to the ski resort for some early exercise. It is only 15 minutes away and is a great way to start the day. Today I happened to be there during a nice snowstorm. As sometimes happens, today's storm included thunder and lightning. The ski area stopped loading new passengers, got everyone off the lifts, and closed until 30 minutes after the last lightning. I didn't have time to wait around and had gotten my exercise for the day, so I headed home to go to work.
This got me thinking about lightning and how to protect your electronics during a lightning storm. For the most part, the chances of having your home struck by lightning are fairly small. I do take several precautions with my own equipment that you might find useful.
This got me thinking about lightning and how to protect your electronics during a lightning storm. For the most part, the chances of having your home struck by lightning are fairly small. I do take several precautions with my own equipment that you might find useful.
- Turn off all of my computers.
- If it is a big storm and I am really concerned I will go so far as to unplug all of my expensive electrical equipment.
- Unplug all network cables from my computers.
- If I am on my sailboat with a giant lightning rod sticking out of the top of the boat (it is normally called a mast), I will put all of the electronics in the oven which does an excellent job of protecting everything
Thursday, December 15, 2016
True Customer Service
I flew back to Utah late last night and didn't get to bed until about 1:00 am. Then I woke up at 7:00 am this morning so I could take a car into the shop to have some warranty work completed. My daughter is the one that drives the car and tried to get it fixed last week only to be given the runaround. I went in today and expressed some displeasure at how they treated her. I got a free rental car and headed back home so I could do my morning exercise routine.
The dealership had a nice service where two guys noticed a crack in the windshield. While I filled out paperwork for the warranty service, they filled the crack and charged my insurance. When I arrived back home, I received a nice call from my insurance company asking for a few particulars related to the rock-chip repair. Halfway through the conversation I realized I was having an actual conversation with someone in the United States. Compare that with some call centers located in other countries. Sometimes I can barely understand the people on the other end because of thick accents. The lady from my insurance company told me about how her son had borrowed her car while his got fixed. This is something my daughter had been doing but my car didn't suffer as this lady's had. I had to admit that the conversation went well and I didn't feel inconvenienced by the call.
Last month I wrote about working from home and how call centers are a great industry where people should be allowed to work from home. I hope that my insurance company allows the lady from my call this morning to do so. I'm not going to complain if they don't as I am glad I got to talk to a live person with no foreign accent. Considering I started the day with only 6 hours of sleep, I'm not sure I would have had such a pleasant experience otherwise.
The dealership had a nice service where two guys noticed a crack in the windshield. While I filled out paperwork for the warranty service, they filled the crack and charged my insurance. When I arrived back home, I received a nice call from my insurance company asking for a few particulars related to the rock-chip repair. Halfway through the conversation I realized I was having an actual conversation with someone in the United States. Compare that with some call centers located in other countries. Sometimes I can barely understand the people on the other end because of thick accents. The lady from my insurance company told me about how her son had borrowed her car while his got fixed. This is something my daughter had been doing but my car didn't suffer as this lady's had. I had to admit that the conversation went well and I didn't feel inconvenienced by the call.
Last month I wrote about working from home and how call centers are a great industry where people should be allowed to work from home. I hope that my insurance company allows the lady from my call this morning to do so. I'm not going to complain if they don't as I am glad I got to talk to a live person with no foreign accent. Considering I started the day with only 6 hours of sleep, I'm not sure I would have had such a pleasant experience otherwise.
Wednesday, December 14, 2016
Technology Innovation
This morning I met with the head of development for a large technology organization and we talked about some of the latest trends in software development. I work in a research and development group and so my team constantly looks at emerging products and how they can best be used to solve problems. The person I met with came with questions about how his organization can leverage some of these new tools to increase efficiencies and streamline software development.
I find it interesting that I found myself championing technology innovation. I am one of those people that resists change and that is one of the problems with the staff of the organization I met with. Software developers get comfortable with the tools and languages they know. The longer someone uses a technology, the more they resist moving to something else. While Java is a great software programming language, there are problems that can be solved quicker and with less effort simply by choosing Python or Erlang.
I have had to force myself to constantly ask if there is a better way of doing something. A simple example is when I had to cut up some old rags this past weekend. I had a dull pair of scissors and a large pile of rags to cut into smaller sizes. At first I tried to make a quick snip with the scissors and then rip the fabric. Things sped up when I simply just got another pair of sharp scissors. Taking 30 seconds to change my tool cut my project time in half.
Looking for a better way to do a task is not something I developed on my own. I have surrounded myself with people who are always looking for a better way of accomplishing things. I have tried to remember to ask for help but often times my coworkers volunteer better ideas for me. That takes a bit of humility but I find it also saves a lot of time. Sometimes if it wasn't for them, I would still be retyping everything instead of cutting and pasting.
I find it interesting that I found myself championing technology innovation. I am one of those people that resists change and that is one of the problems with the staff of the organization I met with. Software developers get comfortable with the tools and languages they know. The longer someone uses a technology, the more they resist moving to something else. While Java is a great software programming language, there are problems that can be solved quicker and with less effort simply by choosing Python or Erlang.
I have had to force myself to constantly ask if there is a better way of doing something. A simple example is when I had to cut up some old rags this past weekend. I had a dull pair of scissors and a large pile of rags to cut into smaller sizes. At first I tried to make a quick snip with the scissors and then rip the fabric. Things sped up when I simply just got another pair of sharp scissors. Taking 30 seconds to change my tool cut my project time in half.
Looking for a better way to do a task is not something I developed on my own. I have surrounded myself with people who are always looking for a better way of accomplishing things. I have tried to remember to ask for help but often times my coworkers volunteer better ideas for me. That takes a bit of humility but I find it also saves a lot of time. Sometimes if it wasn't for them, I would still be retyping everything instead of cutting and pasting.
Tuesday, December 13, 2016
Christmas Lights
This evening is a cold and rainy night on the boat in the Bay Area. Don't worry, I have two heaters running and so the inside of my boat is nice and comfortable. I also did something a little different with my boat this year: I added Christmas lights to the lifelines around the deck. I just stepped outside for a quick moment to get something and my colorful lights make the boat that much more warm and inviting.
I decided to do Christmas lights on the boat to help me get in the Christmas spirit. For the past several years I have felt like something has been missing from this festive season. My son and his wife came by the boat last night and both remarked about how cozy it made the boat look
Tonight is my last night on the boat and then I head back to Utah to get ready for Christmas in earnest. There I have my Christmas tree set up and the house decorated for the upcoming festivities. That means tomorrow morning I will wake up and take the Christmas lights off the boat so they don't get damaged in one of the many storms that will sweep through the marina during my absence. Removing the lights won't take very long and I have to admit that it won't seem like a chore simply because I have enjoyed having them. There are a number of other boats in the marina with Christmas lights and they have helped add to the season atmosphere. So if you find yourself missing some of the Christmas spirit, put up some lights and see if that doesn't help.
I decided to do Christmas lights on the boat to help me get in the Christmas spirit. For the past several years I have felt like something has been missing from this festive season. My son and his wife came by the boat last night and both remarked about how cozy it made the boat look
Tonight is my last night on the boat and then I head back to Utah to get ready for Christmas in earnest. There I have my Christmas tree set up and the house decorated for the upcoming festivities. That means tomorrow morning I will wake up and take the Christmas lights off the boat so they don't get damaged in one of the many storms that will sweep through the marina during my absence. Removing the lights won't take very long and I have to admit that it won't seem like a chore simply because I have enjoyed having them. There are a number of other boats in the marina with Christmas lights and they have helped add to the season atmosphere. So if you find yourself missing some of the Christmas spirit, put up some lights and see if that doesn't help.
Monday, December 12, 2016
Video Game Review: Lego The Hobbit
This evening I decided to go through my blog entries for the past year and realize that I never provided a video game review for "Lego The Hobbit" that I played on my PlayStation Vita earlier this year. I know that a lot of people are looking for video games as Christmas gifts and so I thought I would share my impressions on this fun little game.
Lego games are great for video game players of all ages. Any violence is no more graphic than when a child drops his Lego creation and blocks scatter. Contrast that with a first-person shooter that can be rather graphic. One nice thing about the video game is that you don't have all the little plastic blocks to pick up afterwards and it is a win-win situation for parents. I played the Traveller's Tale game on my hand-held and I understand they changed some of the game play to be a bit more customized for the portable format. However I highly recommend it for all platforms including the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, or any of the previous console versions.
The game follows the movie very closely and even uses dialog taken directly from the film. While not everything matches perfectly, I preferred that to having different voice actors narrate the game. You also have the ability to take somewhat different paths through the game and play things out of the order you would expect. I really enjoyed this after I finished the game and could go back to complete scenes I skipped the first time through.
I had an enjoyable time throughout most of the game. Of course I did encounter one or two parts of the game that seemed a bit more difficult than usual and found myself grinding through those sections. With a bit of effort and the lack of anything else to do on my plane rides, I got through them and continued the game.
I can easily recommend this game to anyone that loves either Lego toys or "The Hobbit." For the later it doesn't matter if you are a fan of the book or the movies. The game has an ESRB rating of E for everyone and can be found in most stores for around $20. It is well worth that price.
Lego games are great for video game players of all ages. Any violence is no more graphic than when a child drops his Lego creation and blocks scatter. Contrast that with a first-person shooter that can be rather graphic. One nice thing about the video game is that you don't have all the little plastic blocks to pick up afterwards and it is a win-win situation for parents. I played the Traveller's Tale game on my hand-held and I understand they changed some of the game play to be a bit more customized for the portable format. However I highly recommend it for all platforms including the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, or any of the previous console versions.
The game follows the movie very closely and even uses dialog taken directly from the film. While not everything matches perfectly, I preferred that to having different voice actors narrate the game. You also have the ability to take somewhat different paths through the game and play things out of the order you would expect. I really enjoyed this after I finished the game and could go back to complete scenes I skipped the first time through.
I had an enjoyable time throughout most of the game. Of course I did encounter one or two parts of the game that seemed a bit more difficult than usual and found myself grinding through those sections. With a bit of effort and the lack of anything else to do on my plane rides, I got through them and continued the game.
I can easily recommend this game to anyone that loves either Lego toys or "The Hobbit." For the later it doesn't matter if you are a fan of the book or the movies. The game has an ESRB rating of E for everyone and can be found in most stores for around $20. It is well worth that price.
Wednesday, December 7, 2016
Quick Video Games
I have a group of around 15 young men between the ages of 12 and 18 coming to visit me at work this evening. There will be the requisite number of adults joining them so I don't have to babysit them alone for the 90 minutes they plan to be here. Instead it is my job to give them a quick tour where I work and then let them play video games for about an hour. We have every console video game you can imagine in our game library and so I went through them looking for titles that the boys could instantly begin to play. Unfortunately I only have 4 consoles and TV's set up for the group. That is not nearly enough for everyone to get their own system and so I wanted to bring down a bunch of games that can be played in 15-minute increments.
Unfortunately console games are not meant to be played in 15-minute increments. That is what mobile games are for. I selected some popular sports titles such as FIFA 17, NBA 2K17 and Madden 17. Then I threw in several driving games like Project Cars and F1 2015 as those don't have too much of a learning curve. Naturally I added a few of the Lego games like Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Jurassic World as they can be a lot of fun and are meant for a younger audience.
I eagerly await the arrival of the group of young men and hope I chose wisely. I know they will be a bit distraught that I didn't throw in any first person shooters like Call of Duty but I am trying to avoid anything with and ESRB rating of M for mature. The last thing I want is a bunch of angry parents asking me why I exposed their kids to inappropriate video games. Of course, I am sure that is what the boys will want to play. After all, I remember being a teenage boy and that is what I would have wanted.
Unfortunately console games are not meant to be played in 15-minute increments. That is what mobile games are for. I selected some popular sports titles such as FIFA 17, NBA 2K17 and Madden 17. Then I threw in several driving games like Project Cars and F1 2015 as those don't have too much of a learning curve. Naturally I added a few of the Lego games like Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Jurassic World as they can be a lot of fun and are meant for a younger audience.
I eagerly await the arrival of the group of young men and hope I chose wisely. I know they will be a bit distraught that I didn't throw in any first person shooters like Call of Duty but I am trying to avoid anything with and ESRB rating of M for mature. The last thing I want is a bunch of angry parents asking me why I exposed their kids to inappropriate video games. Of course, I am sure that is what the boys will want to play. After all, I remember being a teenage boy and that is what I would have wanted.
Tuesday, December 6, 2016
Christmas List 2016: Non Video Games
Yesterday I put together a list of games I want to play over the Christmas break and called it a Christmas list. Today I thought I would put together a list of other things that I want for Christmas this year or would want if I didn't already own them. Hopefully some of you will find them useful.
An OBD-II Reader: Yesterday my wife called me and told me that my daughter's car had a check-engine light on. Her car is only a year old because I got tired of fixing her older car and provided a brand-new one to get my Saturdays back. With an OBD-II reader, you can connect it to the car and it will sort of tell you what the problem is. Sometimes it is as simple as your gas cap not being screwed on correctly. In any event, a quick search on the Internet with the make, model, and year of your car along with the code provided by the reader will tell you if you can fix the problem on your own or need to take it to a repair shop. My daughter's car is still under warranty so it is going back to the dealership tomorrow. I actually own an OBD-II reader and use it all of the time. If that technical person in your life doesn't own one, this should be high on the Christmas list.
Google Cardboard: If you have someone on your Christmas list that really wants to play with virtual reality but you don't have the funds to spring for a $400 PlayStation VR, $600 Oculus Rift, or $800 HTC Vive, then think about getting Google Cardboard. It is only $15 and works with most existing smartphones. It provides a first-hand look at virtual reality with a plethora of apps that are inexpensive and give a good feel for the technology. I got one from a conference and liked the technology so much I purchased a PlayStation VR when I got the chance.
Musical Instrument: I have spent the last year learning to play the guitar and recommend everyone learn to play a musical instrument. One of my favorite things to do is wake up on a Sunday morning and relax playing my guitar. Studies have shown that having a hobby like playing the guitar can help keep brain cells healthy.
A Photo Book: Now that almost every phone sold also includes a camera, there is no excuse for not taking pictures of important events. So what do you do with all of those photos? Put them in a photo book. My family took a great vacation this year and it would be great if everyone combined all of their photos to create a memorable book for the family.
Yes there are probably more things I could add to my list but this is a good start. Hopefully it has a something you wouldn't have thought about on your own that will be a great gift for that hard-to-shop-for person on your list.
An OBD-II Reader: Yesterday my wife called me and told me that my daughter's car had a check-engine light on. Her car is only a year old because I got tired of fixing her older car and provided a brand-new one to get my Saturdays back. With an OBD-II reader, you can connect it to the car and it will sort of tell you what the problem is. Sometimes it is as simple as your gas cap not being screwed on correctly. In any event, a quick search on the Internet with the make, model, and year of your car along with the code provided by the reader will tell you if you can fix the problem on your own or need to take it to a repair shop. My daughter's car is still under warranty so it is going back to the dealership tomorrow. I actually own an OBD-II reader and use it all of the time. If that technical person in your life doesn't own one, this should be high on the Christmas list.
Google Cardboard: If you have someone on your Christmas list that really wants to play with virtual reality but you don't have the funds to spring for a $400 PlayStation VR, $600 Oculus Rift, or $800 HTC Vive, then think about getting Google Cardboard. It is only $15 and works with most existing smartphones. It provides a first-hand look at virtual reality with a plethora of apps that are inexpensive and give a good feel for the technology. I got one from a conference and liked the technology so much I purchased a PlayStation VR when I got the chance.
Musical Instrument: I have spent the last year learning to play the guitar and recommend everyone learn to play a musical instrument. One of my favorite things to do is wake up on a Sunday morning and relax playing my guitar. Studies have shown that having a hobby like playing the guitar can help keep brain cells healthy.
A Photo Book: Now that almost every phone sold also includes a camera, there is no excuse for not taking pictures of important events. So what do you do with all of those photos? Put them in a photo book. My family took a great vacation this year and it would be great if everyone combined all of their photos to create a memorable book for the family.
Yes there are probably more things I could add to my list but this is a good start. Hopefully it has a something you wouldn't have thought about on your own that will be a great gift for that hard-to-shop-for person on your list.
Monday, December 5, 2016
Christmas List 2016: Video Games I Want to Play
Every year I try to put together a Christmas list for that technically minded person in your family based upon what I want. Sometimes I have listed feel-good gifts but most of the time I list video games and other items that I would like to receive. Today I am going to restrict it to just video games. I must confess that I already own a bunch of these games and so this list is what I would like to play during the Holiday break when I am not skiing. Some of these are old games while others have just come out. That should give you a healthy mix of economical gifts as well as more expensive ones. Here is the list, in alphabetical order:
Battlefield 1: I really enjoyed playing Battlefield 3. I tried Battlefield 4 but lost interest after about an hour. I understand that EA figured out they need compelling story lines so that Battlefield 1 is much more engaging. I already have my copy of this game and look forward to finding some time to play it.
God of War 3: I have finished playing both 1 and 2 on the PlayStation 3 so now I want to play the remastered version of 3 on the PlayStation 4. I had hoped to start this evening but am getting really tired after waking up at 4:15 this morning to catch my flight to California and may begin tomorrow. Naturally I have a copy of this game already and have had it for quite some time.
Rise of the Tomb Raider: The Tomb Raider reboot is one of my favorite video games. It is along the same lines as the Uncharted series with a female protagonist instead of a male one. Those of you with XBox One consoles have been able to play this game for the past year, while those of us that favor the PlayStation 4 console have had to wait. The exclusivity is now over so I am looking forward to picking this game up and continuing the adventure.
Steep: I am a huge fan of skiing and so I look forward to any well-done skiing or snowboarding video game. When the oppressive heat of summer kicks in, I head to my cool basement and pretend it is winter again. That will probably be the case with this Ubisoft title as I don't own it yet. However I have it on my Christmas list in the hopes that someone who loves me will get me a copy.
Uncharted 3 & 4: I love the Uncharted games and have finished both 1 and 2. Now that I have more time, I will try to finish 3 and 4. It may take me some time as I don't have huge amounts of time to play video games. I already have my copies of each game.
The Walking Dead Season 3: I just saw that this will be released shortly. I played the first and second seasons and am eagerly anticipating the next one. I have yet to purchase the game but will look for it as soon as I complete one or two other games on my list.
Yes I work for a video game company but I have tried to include a number of titles from other game publishers. I have also listed those games that have risen to the top of my want-to-play list. As I browsed through the catalog of video games I own and those available for video game consoles, I came across a number of games that sounded interesting but I didn't want my list to be too long. I want it to be honest. Now we will see how many of these I actually play this Christmas season.
Battlefield 1: I really enjoyed playing Battlefield 3. I tried Battlefield 4 but lost interest after about an hour. I understand that EA figured out they need compelling story lines so that Battlefield 1 is much more engaging. I already have my copy of this game and look forward to finding some time to play it.
God of War 3: I have finished playing both 1 and 2 on the PlayStation 3 so now I want to play the remastered version of 3 on the PlayStation 4. I had hoped to start this evening but am getting really tired after waking up at 4:15 this morning to catch my flight to California and may begin tomorrow. Naturally I have a copy of this game already and have had it for quite some time.
Rise of the Tomb Raider: The Tomb Raider reboot is one of my favorite video games. It is along the same lines as the Uncharted series with a female protagonist instead of a male one. Those of you with XBox One consoles have been able to play this game for the past year, while those of us that favor the PlayStation 4 console have had to wait. The exclusivity is now over so I am looking forward to picking this game up and continuing the adventure.
Steep: I am a huge fan of skiing and so I look forward to any well-done skiing or snowboarding video game. When the oppressive heat of summer kicks in, I head to my cool basement and pretend it is winter again. That will probably be the case with this Ubisoft title as I don't own it yet. However I have it on my Christmas list in the hopes that someone who loves me will get me a copy.
Uncharted 3 & 4: I love the Uncharted games and have finished both 1 and 2. Now that I have more time, I will try to finish 3 and 4. It may take me some time as I don't have huge amounts of time to play video games. I already have my copies of each game.
The Walking Dead Season 3: I just saw that this will be released shortly. I played the first and second seasons and am eagerly anticipating the next one. I have yet to purchase the game but will look for it as soon as I complete one or two other games on my list.
Yes I work for a video game company but I have tried to include a number of titles from other game publishers. I have also listed those games that have risen to the top of my want-to-play list. As I browsed through the catalog of video games I own and those available for video game consoles, I came across a number of games that sounded interesting but I didn't want my list to be too long. I want it to be honest. Now we will see how many of these I actually play this Christmas season.
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